Every off season concludes with an evaluation of the "winners" and "losers." There are always prime examples of teams that try very hard with the expectation that their work will result in a successful season. Going back to the days of the 1992 New York Mets, history has shown that teams that center an off season around too many transactions sometimes lead to disruption in the clubhouse and a lack of chemistry. Most recent examples of this are the 2016 Arizona Diamondbacks (whom I truly feel should not be judged off of one season), the 2015 San Diego Padres, the 2012 Miami Marlins and the 2002 Mets. While I do not feel the 2016 Houston Astros have too many similarities to the before mentioned teams, I feel that they have gotten a little bit too much hype this off season. Were they very active? Yes. Did they bring in some very good veteran players who will influence the clubhouse in a positive way? Yes. The trade for catcher Brian McCann and the signing of free agents Josh Reddick, Carlos Beltran, and Norichika Aoki make the Astros a stronger and deeper offensive team. If I was told the Houston Astros would be lead this season by the 2015 version of Cy Young Keuchel, I would be a lot more confident in this team. Dallas had a rough season in 2016, winning 9 games, losing 14, and finishing with an earned run average of more than two runs higher than a season ago. Collin McHugh and Mike Fiers are kind of the same pitcher- dependable, durable right handers that should give the team 30 starts and 180 plus innings. Both show signs of dominance- Fiers has thrown a no hitter and McHugh has won 19 games in a season. But where they both sit ERA wise and WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) wise may very well be where they should be expected to be year in and year out. Not an insult, but there is a huge difference between a (or two) quality number three or four starter(s) and an ace. The Astros are missing a legitimate number one to their rotation. Of course, if Keuchel is back, then the focus should be on getting a legit number two, or a one-A. A major wild card this season could be Lance McCullers, Jr. Limited to 14 starts last year, he lead the starting staff with 11.7 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (106 Ks in 81 IP). Other considerations are right handed pitchers Joe Musgrove and Chris Devenski, with Musgrove probably having a better shot of making the rotation. Right hander Charlie Morton comes in to be this version's Doug FIster (12-13, 4.64, 32 starts, just over 180 IP), which puts him in the fifth starter spot in the rotation. A opening day version of Keuchel- McCullers- McHugh- Fiers- Morton would be greatly improved with an addition of a pitcher like the Chicago White Sox' Jose Quintana. Devenski has closer's stuff and the combination of him and Ken Giles will make it tough for opposing hitters to keep up in the later innings. Will Harris is coming off of his first All Star selection and Luke Gregerson always seems to be at his best when he is pitching the eighth inning. Tony Sipp is the situational LOOGY (left handed one out guy) with James Hoyt and Brady Rodgers possibilities to land a spot in the front of the pen. Adding the 2016 numbers of Beltran (.295, 29, 73), Reddick (.281 in 115 games with 20-30 home run power), and McCann (nine straight 20 home run seasons) to the lineup that already exists makes the Astros one of the best offensive teams in all of baseball. Adding in Evan Gattis (32 home runs last season) and Aoki (a consistent .286 career hitter) makes it fun to imagine what the best Houston lineup can look like. MVP candidate Jose Altuve has become one of the best hitters in the game and George Springer hit 29 home runs and scored 116 runs last year. Altuve's 42 doubles and 24 home runs make him a scary player, not just a high average, speedster who scores a lot of runs.The Astros corner infield features Alex Bregman at third base. Bregman should eventually see an increase in power and has potential similar to that of starting shortstop Carlos Correa (.274, 20, 96). Yulieski Gurriel will be playing first base, another player that the Astros expect to be a power threat. The question is what lineup is best for the Astros to put out there and which players should sit. Of course, manager AJ Hinch has a deep bench and because of this, he can move players in and out and take advantage of the players with the most versatility and platoon splits. Marvin Gonzalez and Jake Marisnick will also be coming off of the bench with whoever else is not in the starting lineup on a given day. Beltran could play the outfield while Gattis serves as the DH, with Aoki coming off the bench. Gurriel can play third base, freeing up Gattis or McCann for first base. Bregman is a natural shortstop and Springer, who will be the starting center fielder, can use some time in either right or left, freeing up time for Marisnick to play center. Gonzalez hit 13 home runs last season, playing more games at first than any other Astros player. Perhaps a major reason chose not to make a significant upgrade to their starting rotation could be right hander Francis Martes, who struck out 131 batters in just over 125 innings last season. Martes, Devenski, and Musgrove could form a pretty solid trio if they can all succeed in the major leagues at the same time. David Paulino is another solid arm, who I think would be better as a short reliever. Outfielder Kyle Tucker is another season or two away, but I would expect him to become one of the best position player prospects in the entire game before he makes his debut. Derek FIsher is an outfielder closer to being MLB ready, but comes with a ton of strikeouts. A young player to watch that could be on the rise is left handed pitcher Framber Valdez, a 23-year old Domincan born who signed with the Astros at age 21. Sky is the limit for the Astros, who can very well ride their off season to their first division title since they won the National League Central in 2001. The Astros have one of the strongest, deepest offensive teams in the entire sport. If Keuchel performs to his 2015 levels, look out! I respect the Astros approach in developing their younger starting pitchers. They are very fortunate to have so many young, solid arms on the way. I think the Astros will compete all season, but they are stuck in a division which I rate as the best in baseball. Four teams will finish the 2017 season with winning records, according to www.johnpielli.com. I take the under with the Astros though, as their Las Vegas number was 87.5. The Astros will finish this season with a 85-77 record, third place in the American League West division.

Parity in baseball is as strong as it has ever been. Of course, the fact that baseball plays 162 games in a season allows for any team to beat any team at any time. But, the bigger issue is the fact that the pool of top talent is spread across almost every team with few of them not in a position to contend. In the cases of those that are not, all of whom are by choice. These teams do not wish to contend right now and have a desire to be good in the future. While I am not 100% on board with that philosophy, the proof is in the pudding with the results of teams that have gone that root. Sometimes it takes years (ask the Kansas City Royals or Pittsburgh Pirates), but it does explain some of the parity that exists throughout the game. Even the best teams do not seem to have a distinct advantage over the others anymore. The San Francisco Giants have been the most successful MLB team since 2010 and they have never been considered a juggernaut, at least according to the feat of its immediate competition. Of course, there is no team in professional sports that would not take three Championships in five seasons in exchange for not being dominant. The re-emergence of the Houston Astros is the prime example of how parity has taken the game over. The Astros started to break down their major league baseball team. After six losing seasons, and three straight 100 seasons from 2011-2013, the Astros started to see some of the fruit of their investment in their farm system. The Astros won 70 games in 2014, a 19 game increase from the hideous 2013 season. While the Astros seemed to be headed in the right direction, it seemed as if nobody was prepared for what was to happen last season. The Astros got off to a great start and had a legitimate chance to win the American League West division due to disappointing starts by the Athletics, Angels and Mariners, teams that had either been post season bound in recent years or, in the Mariners case, been predicted by many (including myself) to take the division in 2015. The Astros became a legit contender once star shortstop Carlos Correa (.279 batting average, 22 home runs, 68 runs batted in, .856 on base plus slugging) joined the squad. Left hand pitcher Dallas Kuechel (20 wins, 8 losses, 2.48 earned run average, 216 strikeouts, 232 innings pitched) emerged as the top pitcher in the American League, winning the AL Cy Young Award. Houston acquired Philadelphia Phillies closer Ken Giles (6-3, 1.80, 87 Ks, 70 IP) to solidify their bullpen, though they paid a pretty hefty price to land the flame thrower. The Astros traded former number one overall pick Mark Appel, righty Vincent Velasquez and lefty Brett Oberholtzer to the Phillies, clearly giving the Phillies some pieces to rebuild with. They then signed right hander Doug Fister (5-7, 4.19, 25 games, 15 games started) who was coming off a down season with the Washington Nationals. The Astros also retained outfielder Colby Rasmus (.238, 25, 61, .789) via the qualifying offer ($15.8 million). In addition, outfielder Carlos Gomez (.255, 12, 56, .724) and right hander Mike Fiers (7-10, 3.69, 180 Ks, just over 180 IP) return after both were acquired at the trading deadline last season from the Milwaukee Brewers. Left handed reliever Neal Cotts (1-0, 3.41, 68 games) comes over as a free agent after splitting the season between the Brewers and the Minnesota Twins. If things are going right for Houston, the core of Correa, second baseman Jose Altuve (.313, 15, 66, .812) and outfielder George Springer (.276, 16, 41, .826) will be the center of the Astros batting order. Designated hitter Evan Gattis (.246, 27, 88, .748) may spend a little time at first base with prospect Jon Singleton (.254, 22, 83, .865 in AAA) hoping to finally cut down on the strikeouts that plagued his debut in the major leagues in 2014. Rasmus and Gomez fill out the outfield with Luis Valbuena (.224, 25, 56, .748) manning third and Jason Castro (.211, 11, 31, .648) serving as the primary backstop. The lineup I would go with goes like this: Gomez CF, Altuve 2B, Correa SS, Springer RF, Gattis DH, Valbuena 3B, Rasmus LF, Singleton 1B, Castro C. The Astros will look to get outfielders Jake Marisnick (.236, 9, 36, .665) and Preston Tucker (.243, 13, 33, .734) some at bats and will give Rasmus, Gomez and Springer some rest. The three starters will fill in for Gattis at DH and Gattis can slide over to first to spell Singleton. Infielders Matt Duffy and Marvin Gonzalez can fill in the infield, though Correa and Altuve will probably be set to play 150-160 games. Max Stassi will be the backup catcher though he is unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season. The big difference in the Astros this season and last season is the presence of their starting pitchers. In addition to Keuchel, Collin McHugh (19-7, 3.89, 171 Ks, just under 204 IP) will be followed by hopefully healthy and back on track Fister and Fiers. Lance McCullers Jr (6-7, 3.22, 129 Ks, just under 126 IP) has a spot in the rotation once he is healthy, though he is likely to start the season on the disabled list. In the meantime, veterans Scott Feldman and Brad Peacock are expected to fill in and should provide the team with respectable depth should there be an additional injury. Giles gives the Astros one of the game's premium young relief pitchers. After the Phillies traded Jonathan Papelbon last season, Giles got his first taste of being a big league closer. That should suit him well as he takes over a Houston bullpen that has been in desperate need for a big time stopper. This acquisition should also benefit Luke Gregerson (7-3, 3.10, 34 saves, 59 Ks, 61 IP), a good late inning reliever who I have said for years is best suited to be an eighth inning guy and NOT a closer. Tony Sipp (3-4, 1.99, 62 Ks, just over 54 IP) had a great season as a left handed one batter only reliever, but can expand his role to face righties and perhaps pitch the 7th inning if Cotts can assert himself in that role. Right handers Will Harris (5-5, 1.90, 68 Ks, 71 IP) and Pat Neshek (3-6, 3.62, 51 Ks, just under 55 IP) give the Astros a solid but underrated bullpen with some depth for manager AJ Hinch. The Astros may just be holding first base temporarily for their best offensive prospect AJ Reed. Reed hit 34 home runs in the minor leagues last season and is expecting to make his debut this season. Third baseman Colin Moran is also expected to debut this season and if he is ready, he could take over the hot corner from Valbuena making the latter a role player. The Astros could use some major league blood to fill out their outfield of the future, drafting Kyle Tucker (Preston's brother) and Daz Cameron (Mike's son) both in the first round of the 2015 draft. I also like Derek Fisher, a converted infielder who is now in the outfield coming off a 22 home run season in the minors. He could be a September call up. They traded away some of their top young pitching depth in the Giles trade, but look at right hander Francis Martes as somebody who can crack the rotation at some point in the season. The Astros have a lot of intrigue because there really is no limit to how good this franchise can become. Remember, last season many had the Astros as being another year away. They could take a step back, but can also come into their own. I think their start will be as pivotal as any other team, particularly the way their division shapes up. I think the American League West is very competitive but does not have a clear cut favorite. The Astros performance last season brings their over/ under up to 85.5. I think the rest of the American League has caught on to the fact that the Astros have arrived. They will win their share of games and should be able to protect more leads with Giles leading their bullpen. However, I think they are another season away before I can consider them a team that is ready to win an American League Pennant. I have the Astros finishing at 82-80, third place in the AL West division.

We have now hit that time of year. Pitchers and catchers have already reported with position players about to report. Though opening day is a little ways away, baseball has started in the eyes of the die hard. The off season has come to a conclusion and the focus is on what to expect out of the upcoming series of baseball months. It also means the return of www.johnpielli.com 's 30-1 MLB countdown previews, the more controversial series of team baseball previews. All you have to do is go to the same generic websites and read the same predictions. They all have the teams positioned the same. The teams that made the postseason last year are rewarded in the minds of the pickers and are picked to finish in the top of their respective leagues/ divisions. The teams that did not do so well in 2014 are all predicted to finish at the bottom of the division- unless they had a big off season, where in some cases, they get expectations that they cannot fulfill. My predictions are based on how I perceive each roster looks. I have studied the 2014 MLB team, its 2014- 2015 off season, their minor league system and have come up with an overall outlook for 2015. I also use the Las Vegas over- unders to judge the amount of wins I think a team will net for the upcoming season. In some cases, my outlook is completely different from the likes of baseball prospectus (almost always is), baseball america, MLB dot com and other sites. As in past years, I am always up for the debate so I look forward to hearing from you. As always, thanks and "I'll see you on the other side." The Houston Astros are the present example of what the complete rebuilding effort looks like. The Astros started moving players in 2010 and 2011, leaving themselves completely gutted for the 2012 season. They fired manager Brad Mills in 2012, though the performance of the team was not his fault. Bo Porter was hired for the 2013 season and by the end of last year, he too was out. Once again, a team that was not ready to compete blaming the manager for their woes. GM Jeff Luthnow may say the key is to have the right guy behind the bench. Perhaps thats why he hired AJ Hinch away from the San Diego Padres scouting department, a place he had spent the past three plus years after managing the Arizona Diamondbacks. The fact that the team managed to improve by 19 games in 2014 to 2013 shows some progress made by the organization. However, in 2013 the team was 51-111, so the Astros had to try very hard to play that bad of baseball. The 70 win version had a lot to do with three major blessings. Jose Altuve won the AL Batting Title and led the league in hits and stolen bases. DH Chris Carter hit a career high 37 home runs and the team got some consistent starting pitching led by Dallas Keuchel (12-9, 2.93, 29 starts, 200 IP), Collin McHugh (11-9, 2.73, 25 starts, 157 Ks in less than 155 IP) and Scott Feldman (8-12, 3.74, 29 starts). The improvement of Altuve, Carter and the starting pitching was the exact reason the Astros improved by 19 games in 2014. I really like how the Astros went out and upgraded themselves in 4 positions offensively. They signed free agent SS Jed Lowrie (.249, 6, 50- coming off a .290, 15, 75 over the last two seasons in Oakland) to a three year deal. Then they signed Colby Rasmus (.225, 18, 40 in 115 games after 2 straight 20 plus HR seasons in Toronto) to a one year deal replacing Dexter Fowler, who they traded to the Chicago Cubs for 3B Luis Valbuena (.249, 6, 51) and RHP Dan Straily (10-8, 3.96 in 27 starts in 2013 for Oakland). Then, they acquired OF Evan Gattis (.263, 22, 52 as a catcher in 2014) from the Braves in a deal centered around pitching prospect Mike Foltynewicz. In spite of these acquisitions, the key to the Astros offensively will center around two of their top offensive prospects- both of whom got their first chance to play in the big league last season. OF George Springer (.231, 20, 51 in just 78 games) clearly has 40 HR power and should become that type of hitter assuming he stays healthy. 1B Jon Singleton (.168, 13, 44, 134 Ks in 310 ABs) had as bad of a rookie campaign as could have been imagined. He was given the chance to play in spite of his woes because the Astros knew they had nothing to play for. This season, they have given themselves some other options should Singleton struggle or not make the team out of camp. Gattis can play 1B, so can last year's 3B Matt Dominguez (.215, 6, 57). Backup catcher Hank Conger (.221, 4, 25 with Angels in 2014) is a suitable starting candidate with starter Jason Castro (.222, 14, 56 after a .276, 18, 76 2013 season) an option to DH. That can allow for Carter, who was primarily a 1B until becoming full time DH in 2014, to play 1B. The bottom line is that Gattis, Valbuena, Conger and OF Jake Marisnick (.249, 3, 19 with Miami and Houston) give the Astros options to have others start at 1B they did not have last season. The 2014 Astros lineup should look something like this: Altuve 2B (.341, 7, 59, 56 SB), Lowrie SS, Springer RF, Carter DH (.227, 37, 88), Gattis LF, Valbuena 3B, Castro C, Rasmus CF, Singleton 1B or Dominguez (1B), Marisnick (CF) or Conger (C). Marisnick would start in CF, with Rasmus moving to left and Gattis to 1B. Conger would catch, like I said before, with Castro moving to DH and Carter to 1B. If I were Houston, I wouldn't guarantee Singleton a spot as his upside is too valuable to waste struggling again in the big leagues. Have him start the season in AAA and bring him up when he is ready. Having Dominguez, Marisnick and Conger on the bench, along with Alex Presley and either Marwin Gonzalez or Jonathan Villar (and LJ Hoes if Singleton starts the season in AAA) gives the Astros a quality MLB bench. The Astros starting five will be led by Keuchel, with an AL leading 5 CGs and a Gold Glove Award, as well as McHugh and Feldman. Straily has a good shot of being the 4th starter, with the 5th spot going to be between Brett Oberholtzer (5-13, 4.29), Brad Peacock (4-9, 4.72) and free agent RHP Roberto Hernandez (8-11, 4.10 with Phillies and Dodgers). A couple of other options for the Astros are former top pitching prospect Alex White and RHP Sam Deduno, who came over from the Twins last season. Though 2013 number one overall pick Mark Appel should make his MLB debut this season, he will probably not come up until he is pitching very well in the minor leagues and his Super Two status is not an issue. The Astros bullpen has added the likes of veterans Luke Gregerson (5-5, 2.12, 72 games for Oakland) and Pat Neshek (7-2, 1.87, 71 games for St Louis) to join veteran Chad Qualls (1-5, 3.33, 19 saves, 58 games), Josh Fields (4-6, 4.45, 54 games) and LHP Tony Sipp (4-3, 3.38, 56 games). Fields has closer stuff and had 70 Ks in less than 55 innings last season, however, I think the Astros would be best suited to use Qualls in that capacity- at least at the start of the season. Qualls has the experience pitching in that role and though he is an average MLB closer at best, the unknowns of Gregerson and/ or Neshek being able to close games has to be understood. I would rather go with the givens of Gregerson and Neshek as very good to great setup men over wasting one of them as a terrible closer. Plus, Qualls is more expendable and can give way to Fields if he becomes ready to take the reigns. And how about if Lance McCullers, Jr is pitching lights out and he joins the bullpen in August or September? Maybe he close for the last two months of the season. Appel and SS Carlos Correa should both be up this season, but simply to get a taste of big league action. The signing of Lowrie may slow down the eagerness of the Astros to make Correa their everyday SS, though it is not impossible to see the Astros use Lowrie at 3B or as a utility player is he doesn't bounce back from his down 2014 in Oakland. McCullers is a long shot to play for the Astros this season. The Astros seem to be headed in the right direction. I think they will improve in 2015, but it seems tough to envision a run for an AL Wild Card berth. Barring a Texas 2014 like injury collapse, I still think the Astros will finish in last place in the AL West. There record will be 76-86. a 6 game improvement over 2014 and a game and a half above Las Vegas prediction of 74 1/2. Wait until you see who I have finishing just one game above them...

We have now hit that time of year. Pitchers and catchers have already reported to some teams' camps and others will be over the next couple of days. Though opening day is a little ways away, baseball has started in the eyes of the die hard. The off season has come to a conclusion and the focus is on what to expect out of the upcoming series of baseball months. It also means the return of www.johnpielli.com 's 30-1 MLB countdown previews, the more controversial series of team baseball previews. All you have to do is go to the same generic websites and read the same predictions. They all have the teams positioned the same. The teams that made the postseason last year are rewarded in the minds of the pickers and are picked to finish in the top of their respective leagues/ divisions. The teams that did not do so well in 2014 are all predicted to finish at the bottom of the division- unless they had a big off season, where in some cases, they get expectations that they cannot fulfill. My predictions are based on how I perceive each roster looks. I have studied the 2014 MLB team, its 2014- 2015 off season, their minor league system and have come up with an overall outlook for 2015. I also use the Las Vegas over- unders to judge the amount of wins I think a team will net for the upcoming season. In some cases, my outlook is completely different from the likes of baseball prospectus (almost always is), baseball america, MLB dot com and other sites. As in past years, I am always up for the debate so I look forward to hearing from you. As always, thanks and "I'll see you on the other side." The Atlanta Braves of 2014 needed some shaking up. Injuries to pitchers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy and bad contracts given to Dan Uggla and BJ Upton were a couple of the things that led to the firing of GM Frank Wren. In comes John Hart, a very intelligent baseball mind, and he is handed the task of getting this organization back on track. Hart has been very busy and it seems his focus is to strengthen the farm system and the major league roster with younger players who will be around for years to come. It seems to come, however, at the expense of this coming season. While many teams have taken steps toward being a postseason contender in 2015, the Braves have taken steps back. If there is a reason the Braves could surprise in 2015, it will be because of their starting rotation. Shelby Miller (10-9, 3.74, 31 starts in 2014) comes over from St Louis in a deal for OF Jason Heyward. With Heyward being a free agent after this season, it looks as if this will be a very good trade for the Braves going forward. Miller joins RHP Julio Teheran (14-13, 2.89), Mike Minor (6-12, 4.77) and Alex Wood (11-11, 2.78) in what should be a deep rotation. LHP Eric Stults (8-17, 4.30, 32 starts for Padres) is the early favorite for the 5th spot. Wandy Rodriquez is in camp to provide a veteran presence in case of an injury, so his chance of making the rotation is not very good if the other pitchers stay healthy. If anybody takes the number five away from Stults, it will be young newcomers Mike Foltynewicz, Manuel Banuelos or Max Fried, all of whom were acquired this off season in trades. All three have very good stuff, with Fried recovering from an arm injury. If Foltynewicz was still in Houston, he would be a lock to be part of the Astros rotation in 2015. The Braves made trades in which they moved OFs Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Evan Gattis, 2B Tommy LaStella and RHP Drew Carpenter to get Miller, Foltynewicz, Arodys Vizcaino and Banuelos. Losing Heyward, Upton and Gattis means the Braves have to replace 77 2B, 62 HR, 212 RBI and 192 RS. The only positive is that the Braves rid themselves of 366 strikeouts from the 2014 season. One of the problems with the Braves lineup has been the amount of Ks which has reduced the amount of runs they could be scoring. That being said, they do need to have players capable of driving them in. Freddie Freeman is by far their best player and has been over the past couple seasons. He did, however, have a slightly down 2014 (.288, 18, 78, 43 2B, 93 RS, 175 H while playing all 162 games. He is joined by free agent signing Nick Markakis (.276, 14, 50, 150 games for Baltimore). 3B Chris Johnson (.263, 10, 58) and Andrelton Simmons (.244, 7, 46) are the other key returners to the Braves lineup. Of course, Simmons is by far the best defensive SS in baseball. BJ Upton (.208, 12, 35, 173 Ks, .652 OPS) is entering the 3rd year of a 5 year, $75 million contract he signed with the Braves after 2012. The Braves would love to move him, but because of the lack of interest the team has to either see what they can get out of him or cut their losses. They cut their losses with Uggla last season after giving him some time to get out of his funk. I think they owe Upton the same, but should have a contingency plan in place if Upton continues to struggle. The Braves signed free agent 2B Alberto Callaspo (.223, 4, 39 with Oakland last year) and OFs Jonny Gomes (.234, 6, 37 with Boston and Oakland) and Eric Young Jr (.229, 1, 17, 30 SB with Mets) to play 2B and LF. Young also doubles as a solid defensive 2B if the Braves wish to play him there. Christian Bethancourt (.283, 8, 48 in 91 games in AAA) inherits the full time job behind the plate from Gattis. Veteran AJ Pierzynski comes in to back him up. The Braves lineup should look something like this: Young/ Callaspo LF/ 2B, Simmons SS, Markakis RF, Freeman 1B, Johnson 3B, Callaspo/ Gomes 2B/ LF, Bethancourt C, Upton CF. Of course, Upton can lead off or bat in a power spot of the order... if he proves to have anything left. Players to consider for the Braves bench include Joey Terdoslavich, Zoilo Almonte, Kelly Johnson, John Buck and Eudy Perez. The Braves bullpen is led by Craig Kimbrel (0-3, 47 saves, 1.61) and a group of veterans that have proven themselves at many points during their careers. The best of the bunch is Jason Grilli (1-5, 12 saves, 4.00 in 62 games for Pirates and Angels- a Passed Ball Show guest), who signed a two year deal as a free agent. LHPs Luis Avilan (4-1, 4.57, 62 games) and James Russell (0-2, 2.97, 66 games for Cubs and Braves) and Vizcaino set the Braves up with 5 givens going into spring training. RHPs Jim Johnson, Jose Veras and Josh Outman can make the bullpen even better if any come back to old form. The Braves have injected a little bit of youth in a team that showed signs of age, even if the age was not on paper. A Braves fan can hang onto the thought of the young pitching carrying the team, since they are not expected to score a lot of runs. I like the Braves, but more for 2016 than 2015. The unproven young pitchers can make their impact this season and give John Hart the ability to deal from a position of strength to balance the team (i.e. add more offense). Las Vegas feels the same way, putting their over/ under at 73 1/2. I see them finishing a little less than that, at 71-91, 4th place in the NL East.

Evan Gattis celebrates a HR in a game against the Minnesota Twins. In the middle is Ryan Doumit, acquired today to compete for the starting catching job for the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves made a trade today to get Minnesota Twins C/OF/ DH Ryan Doumit for a decent pitching prospect. Like a lot of moves the Braves made, they are fairly shrewd; more times than not working out in their favor. The Braves lost catcher Brian McCann as a free agent to the Yankees, leaving a minor void behind the plate. But, the Braves were prepared for that moment, as they felt all along that McCann would net himself a contract that was beyond what Atlanta was willing to pay. One of the great stories of 2013 was that of Evan Gattis. Gattis had quit baseball, then college while roaming around the United States for a couple of years before getting himself back to school and playing baseball. Without reaching AAA, he made the Braves opening day roster and had a very good rookie season. Gattis played mostly the outfield in 2013. This was certainly a position he had difficulty adjusting to. Primarily a catcher, he was expected to have the best opportunity to take over for McCann in 2014. The trade for Doumit comes with several questions. Is Doumit now in Atlanta to be the everyday catcher? Did the Braves not believe Gattis could be a regular catcher? Most importantly, do they think Doumit, who has battled injuries at times of his career, can be an everyday catcher while going from splitting time between catching and DH in 2012 to being primarily a DH in 2013, playing almost as many games as an outfielder (33) as he did behind the plate (43)? And finally, (though this does not concern the Braves) after the Twins announced that All Star catcher Joe Mauer would be the regular 1B for the team in 2014, what possessed the Twins to trade Doumit when they clearly have an opening when it comes to their own starting catcher? At the very least, the trade for Doumit gives the Braves some options. Doumit has caught, played 1B and the outfield, which at the very least makes him a valuable utility player. Though 2013 was a down year for Ryan; he hit just .247, 14, 55 in 135 games, he has always hit RHP as well as LHP, making him not just a platoon player. Gattis, as a rookie, finished 7th in the NL ROY voting and hit .243, 21, 65 in 105 games, which included a .480 slugging percentage. If you want to look at the doubts of both players as catchers right now, neither will profile to be the everyday catcher. Perhaps the Braves will use both, with the hopes that one of them will become the main guy. Remember, veteran Gerald Laird is signed through 2014, making him the likely backup catcher. The fact that Laird has always been a very good defensive catcher makes it a wise decision to keep him. However, after watching Gattis play the OF last season, it would be figured that a reasonable conclusion would have been to play more games as catcher. Though Doumit is no GG OF, he has shown the ability to do an adequate enough job to be trusted. I do not feel the same way about Gattis as an OF. I would still start Gattis as catcher, with Laird as the backup. This way Laird can be an option as a late inning defensive replacement. This is what makes the acquisition of Doumit interesting. To me, Doumit looks more comfortable playing the OF and may be a role player on this Atlanta team. It is unlikely the case, as it would be interesting to see why the Braves acquired a player who has primarily been a catcher until recently to not catch. Odds are, Doumit was brought in to be the starting catcher. So what does that mean for Gattis? The Braves outfield seems to start the same way it did in 2013, with Justin Upton, BJ Upton and Jason Heyward. Freddie Freeman is at 1B. It would then force either Gattis or Doumit to be a backup- role type player. Though I would Gattis, it is likely the Braves were not sold on his performance last season. And going with Doumit as their starting catcher is proof that the Braves are not high enough on Gattis to trust him to be the starter.

Marlins rookie pitcher Jose Fernandez capped off a phenomenal season with a victory over the Atlanta Braves. Listening to his comments, he seemed very remorseful of his actions during the game. Standing there to admire his first MLB home started a bench clearing confrontation with the Braves and catcher Brian McCann after he crossed home plate. It seemed Fernandez was showing up the Braves by watching the home run, but that was not the only strange occurrence during the game. Fernandez pitched as well as he had for just about the entire 2013 season. Due to an innings limit, the plan was for Fernandez to make his last start of the season. He finished the season 12-6, 2.19 in 28 starts, striking out 187 in 172 2/3 IP. He is currently leading the NL in Ks per 9 IP (9.7) and fewest hits per 9 IP (5.8). He made the NL All Star team and finished the season hitting .220 (11-50) with 1 2B, 1 3B and 1 HR to go along with 5 RBI. The only mistake he made on the mound was giving up a towering home run to the Braves Evan Gattis, the only run allowed by Fernandez, as he gave up 5 hits, 1 run, walked 3 while striking out 5 in 7 innings for the Marlins. Gattis took a moment to admire the home run, which bothered Fernandez. Later on, we found out the Braves were a little annoyed with Fernandez' bravado after striking out a couple Atlanta batters. The most annoyed seemed to be on deck batter Chris Johnson, who had some words for Fernandez as Gattis was going around the bases. This was the first instance where Johnson was wrong. He had no business involving himself in this. If Gattis had an issue with Fernandez, let Gattis say something. There was no reason for Johnson to say a word. Fernandez was obviously bothered by this exchange, as he had some words for the Atlanta bench on his way off the field. He has also visibly upset in the Miami dugout after the inning was over. The next thing that happens almost seems like a scene from a movie. Fernandez comes up to the plate. Will the Braves try to send him a message? No. Fernandez hits the first home run of his big league career of Mike Minor. Not only that, but he stands... for a while to admire it, then jogs slowly around the bases without a doubt losing his cool. Once again it is Johnson, who decides to spit at Fernandez as he crosses 3B, with Jose returning the favor. Of course, neither player spat on each other, just near. When Fernandez crossed home plate, he was greeted by McCann, who took his mask off and got in his face. In my opinion, it becomes strike three for Johnson, who comes charging from 3B to perhaps get in the middle. But the videos show Johnson taking a circle route, choosing not to go towards Fernandez until he had gotten himself behind the home plate umpire. All along, this seemed like a situation that did not involve Chris Johnson. He looked very silly in this whole situation. But so did Fernandez, who apologized after the game and to the Braves team. Depending on where you stand in your opinion, you can say Fernandez started by going too far by playfully taunting the Braves hitters he retired. You can say Gattis started it by watching his HR leave the yard. Maybe everything was fine until Fernandez stood there and watched his own drive leave the yard. However you look at it, both teams looked silly. The Marlins are 30 games under .500 and nothing to be flamboyant about. The Braves are coasting the NL East title; they should not allow a little immaturity get them going like it did. Both teams looked bad, but Johnson looked worse than anybody else in this silly back and forth.